


to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die

by Patricia_Sage



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Afterlife, Campaign: Balance (The Adventure Zone), Character Death, Disabled Taako (The Adventure Zone), F/M, Family, Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, Good Friend Magnus Burnsides, Good Friend Merle Highchurch, Good Sibling Lup (The Adventure Zone), Grim Reapers, Happy Ending, Kravitz Loves Taako (The Adventure Zone), Kravitz and Taako in Love (The Adventure Zone), Kravitz/Taako Fluff (The Adventure Zone), M/M, Post-Campaign: Balance (The Adventure Zone), Post-Episode: e067-069 Story and Song Parts 1-3, Reapers, Reunions, Taako Has Chronic Pain (The Adventure Zone), Taako Loves Kravitz (The Adventure Zone), but it's happy i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:09:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28640529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patricia_Sage/pseuds/Patricia_Sage
Summary: Slowly and gently, Kravitz places a stray strand of grey hair behind the elf’s pointed ear. Then, he leans forward and presses a tender kiss to Taako’s forehead. Behind him, Lup sniffles.Taako awakens and looks up…except he doesn’t. His spectral form straightens in his chair while his corporeal form remains slumped over and serene. He turns around and sees his body. “Oh, shit!” Taako makes eye contact with his sister and his expression becomes a self-deprecating sneer. “Did I fuckin’ die reading a book like a sad, old man?”Lup laughs. “Afraid so, babe.”
Relationships: Barry Bluejeans/Lup, Bureau of Balance & IPRE Crew | Starblaster Crew, Julia Burnsides/Magnus Burnsides, Kravitz & Lup (The Adventure Zone), Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone), Lup & Taako (The Adventure Zone), Magnus Burnsides & Merle Highchurch & Taako, Magnus Burnsides & Taako, Merle Highchurch & Taako
Comments: 7
Kudos: 64





	to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die

The Raven Queen only calls him to her court when there’s a challenging assignment that requires some explanation. Kravitz is expecting a job involving some sort of cult – it’s been a while since the last one.

When he pushes open the heavy doors of the throne room, he finds he’s not alone with his queen. Lup turns and looks at him from her position in front of the dais. Kravitz is surprised to see her; since she and Barry had finished their training over 500 years ago, they’re very rarely given group assignments. So, why did the Raven Queen call the two of them today?

Kravitz and Lup come to the realization at the same time. Kravitz stops in the doorway, frozen under the elf's gaze. Her eyes are huge and dark and achingly familiar. For a moment, part of him wants to turn and leave, as if he could leave this day and return to it when he’s ready.

The Raven Queen sighs. “Please approach, Kravitz.”

“Yes, my queen,” Kravitz responds automatically. He takes his place next to his sister-in-law.

The Raven Queen’s eyes, warm and glowing embers, are filled with sympathy. “You know why I brought you two here.” Kravitz responds with a professional nod. Lup bites her lip, fidgeting with the rings on her hands. Taako also does that when he’s anxious. The Queen gestures with one of her clawed hands and a piece of paper appears in front of Kravitz. He takes it but doesn’t open it. “Mr. Bluejeans has undertaken the remainder of today’s assignments. Take all the time you need.”

Kravitz unfolds the paper. In place of the usual list, there is only one name. If he had a heart it would stop.

Lup snatches the paper out of his hands as soon as they’re out of the room. She reads it and then crumples it into a ball, setting it on fire. She’s sniffling as she wipes the ashes off the palm of her hand. Kravitz places his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Lup.”

“I’m being stupid,” she responds, emotional and frustrated. “I knew it had to be coming up. And it’s not like I’m never going to see him again – perks of the job, right? But _still_.”

“I feel the same,” Kravitz admits. Lup looks up at him then and takes a deep breath. They hug for the first time since his wedding.

Taako and Kravitz’s house is quiet when they arrive. Kravitz moves to take off his boots in the foyer and catches himself. He looks up at the family portrait hanging on the wall and the breath he doesn’t need shudders out of his lungs. Lucretia had painted the portrait many, many years ago. Getting the cats to sit for the sketch had been a bit of a disaster, but Taako’s smile was perfectly captured – blinding and mischievous. Lup takes Kravitz’s shaking hand and leads him down the hall. 

Taako appears to be asleep in his wheelchair. He’s next to the fireplace in the living room, a cold cup of tea on the table next to him. His glasses are askew on his nose and there’s a book slumped on the floor directly below his limp hand. Kravitz picks it up and places it next to the duck-shaped mug before kneeling in front of his husband. Slowly and gently, he places a stray strand of grey hair behind the elf’s pointed ear. Then, he leans forward and presses a tender kiss to Taako’s forehead. Behind him, Lup sniffles.

Taako awakens and looks up…except he doesn’t. His spectral form straightens in his chair while his corporeal form remains slumped over and serene. “Oh, hey!” he says with a crooked smile, straightening his glasses and looking between them. He frowns. “Wait, what’s with the vibes?”

Kravitz can’t help but smile when he’s with Taako. He offers his hands, palms up. Taako looks down to take them and then notices that his own hands are slightly transparent. “Oh, shit.” He turns around and sees his corporeal form. “Oh, shit!” Taako makes eye contact with his sister and his expression becomes a self-deprecating sneer. “Did I fuckin’ die reading a book like a sad, old man?”

Lup laughs. “Afraid so, babe.”

“Huh. Well, I’ve died _many_ times before this, and they were a lot cooler. I guess it’s fine if I’ve just got the one boring one.”

Kravitz chuckles with unending fondness. Taako meets his eyes and gives him a sad smile. “What happened to not bringing your work home, handsome?”

“You always make me break the rules.”

He slaps his spectral hands into Kravitz’s like a low-five. “Alright, what’s next? It’s ‘Bring Your Twin to Work’ day! Show me the ropes.”

As soon as they enter the Astral Plane, Taako’s body transforms into how it was in young adulthood. He stands up straight and runs his hands down his face and hair in delight. “Fuck yes! Come here, hot stuff.” He pulls Kravitz into an enthusiastic, smiling kiss.

“Aw, but you were so hot for a seven-hundred-and-twenty-two-year-old!” Lup teases. Taako turns to her and places both palms on her cheeks, squishing them slightly. They smile at each other for a moment. Kravitz knows they’re enjoying the fact that they’re once again identical.

The three of them approach the house on the island. It’s elegant and elaborate, with a ridiculous number of wind chimes hanging above the porch. The wizard pulls both Reapers in by the hand. It’s as if someone took Taako and Kravitz’s home and doubled Taako’s influence. Trinkets and jewels cover every shelf. Each wall has a different wallpaper pattern. There are so many pillows.

When they step into the kitchen, both Taako and Lup are stunned into silence. It’s much more conservatively decorated compared to the rest of the house, but the twins look around with tears in their eyes. Taako turns to his husband. “How did you know what my aunt’s kitchen looked like?”

If Kravitz had a heart it would melt. “I don’t make this, sweetheart. It’s…made from you.”

They sit at the table. Kravitz holds Taako’s hand. “You can stay here for as long as you’d like. But at some point, you’re going to have to join the other souls, alright? It’s a little crowded, but it’s not so bad.”

“Okay. And you’ll visit me?” This is the first time since he died that Taako looks nervous. Kravitz tucks his hair behind his ear again, gold instead of grey.

“Oh, babe, I live here now,” Kravitz says. Taako smiles.

Lup interrupts with a pointed look to her brother-in-law. “Speaking of visiting…”

“Oh, yes!” Kravitz snaps his fingers and a small cloud of black smoke rises in the air for a second. There are footsteps in the hall.

And Magnus rushes in.

Taako shouts in delight as the huge man lifts him from the chair and whirls him around. His hat goes flying off. It’s been hundreds of years since Magnus Burnsides died. “My beloved Taako!” Magnus cheers, kissing the wizard on the cheek. Taako pushes him away, laughing.

Merle Highchurch walks in just as Magnus sets Taako back down. His beard is free of grey hairs, but he chose to keep his wooden arm in the afterlife for some reason. “Merle, my man, death becomes you!” Taako says, kneeling down to give the dwarf a hug. Magnus can’t stop himself from turning it into a group hug. “Magnus, fuck off,” Taako says, but Kravitz can tell he doesn’t mean it. The wizard hasn’t smiled this much in many years.

Kravitz thinks about how nice it is to see his husband comfortable in his body again. The injuries he had sustained in Wonderland really took a toll on him, and by 400 he was in too much pain to walk. Now Taako’s standing easily, surrounded by his closest friends, the ones who went with him to Hell and back.

“Tres Horny Boys!” Magnus yells triumphantly, large arm draped over Taako’s narrow shoulders. Merle places his hand on Taako’s hip and cheers in agreement.

“Such a stupid name,” Lup says. She’s wiping tears from her cheeks, looking as overwhelmed as Kravitz feels.

“Come here,” Taako says, and Lup nearly knocks over her chair running to hug him. The huddle is messy and so full of love. Taako leans into Magnus’s side and looks up at Kravitz from over Lup’s shoulder. Kravitz internally berates himself for dreading this day.

“I can’t wait for you to meet Julia!” Magnus says. He’s so young and handsome, and Kravitz wonders if he ever stops smiling. “Will you and Kravitz come over for supper soon?”

“Sure! Right, babe?”

Kravitz nods. “Of course.”

There’s another reunion with Lucretia and Davenport, as well as Angus, Killian, Carey, and many other friends. Taako was the last one to join them, and they’re all absolutely delighted to see him after so long.

The seven birds and their loved ones settle in for many centuries together, this time without the threat of the end of all worlds.

Life (death) goes on.

**Author's Note:**

> It’s the ‘Frodo waking up at the end of the Return of the King’ vibes for me. Seriously, though, I wanted to give Taako an ending like Magnus got. Yeah, the afterlife is stupidly ideal and death kind of means nothing, but I think our heroes deserve that. 
> 
> Please let me know what you thought of this story! I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
